Homeschool Field Programs

The Environmental Interpretive Center welcomes families who pursue homeschool education of their children. In addition to single visit programs for all ages and grade levels, (request single visit programs) the Center is offering a 9-month program for elementary-school aged children, as well as a 9-month in-depth program for secondary-school aged students. 

Children ages 6-11 meet from 1 - 2:30 PM on the third Monday of each month, September through May, to explore changes in nature through the seasons. Outdoor investigations include pond study, maple sugaring, insects and spiders, birds and migration, life of the soil, wildflowers and trees, and seasonal nature scavenger hunts. 

There is a $45 fee for this program.

Meeting once-a-week over a 9 month period, this program is offered to students between the ages of 14 to 18, who wish to experience an immersive, four-season exploration of the natural world. Program sessions take place from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM every Friday, from September through May. 

Each week, participants will explore the wonderful variety of plant and animal life found within the 120+ acre UM-Dearborn Environmental Study Area with a professional naturalist.  Over the course of the program, participants will be guided in the practice of making close, prolonged, and detailed field observations of plant and animal life.  Participants also keep a daily log of their observations and maintain a field notebook. 

All participants will need to provide their own field equipment, including binoculars and field identification guides, from a specified equipment list put together by the program instructors. 

There is a $120 fee for this program.  The program registration is a two step-process.  Interested students must upload a personal letter of interest as part of the application process by August 30.  After they have been admitted, they will be sent the link to officially register and submit payment.  The completed registration and payment must be received by September 13.  

Before writing and submitting the letter, prospective students should carefully read over the syllabus for the program.  The letter should briefly describe how and why participating in the program will relate to their personal interests and learning goals.